Early this year Ukraine - along with much of eastern Europe - was caught in a deep and protracted cold snap. Many froze to death, energy demand spiked, and to top it all Russia accused Ukraine of stealing gas from transit pipes destined for western Europe for the second time in three years.
Ukraine issued a firm denial, adding another blot to the two nations’ fraught — but highly dependent — relationship. The fact remains that Ukraine needs Russian gas while Russia needs Ukraine’s transit pipeline to export west, reads CNN report.
The spat came on the heels of a disastrous relationship meltdown in 2009, when for two nerve-wracking weeks Russia abruptly stopped pumping gas to Ukraine and Europe.
